The ability of leaders to generate and maintain trust among employees is vital during times of change

Trust is an antidote to the potential paralysis caused by uncertainty.

Compare the experiences of two similar audiences addressed by leaders communicating change:

In the first instance, the leader swept into the facility in an almost presidential cavalcade. He spoke to the assembled masses for all of 10 minutes using four slides: market conditions, company performance, the change programme and, oh yes, this facility is closing with the loss of all jobs. He promptly left in his presidential limo.

In the second instance, the leader arrived and parked her family car in the main car park. When she addressed the workforce, she came immediately to the challenging messages of the day, balancing empathy with directness. [Read more…]